Jelena Janićijević (Serbian Cyrillic: Јелена Јанићијевић, born 7 March 1985) is a Serbian professional boxer who is a former European female lightweight champion. She is the first female boxer from her country to win a senior medal at an International Boxing Association sanctioned competition, having won bronze at the 2022 Women's European Amateur Boxing Championships.

Jelena Janićijević
Born (1985-03-07) 7 March 1985 (age 39)[3]
Belgrade, Serbia[1]
NationalitySerbian
Statistics
Weight(s)Lightweight, Light-welterweight, Welterweight
StanceOrthodox[1]
Boxing record[2]
Wins5
Wins by KO2
Losses1
Draws1
No contests1
Medal record
Women's amateur boxing
Representing  Serbia
European Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Budva Welterweight

Career

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A former kickboxer, Janićijević switched to boxing in 2015.[4] She lost on her professional debut suffering a points decision defeat to Nahed Kharchi in a six-round contest in Drap, France, on 29 September 2018.[5]

Three victories and a no contest followed before, on 24 September 2021, Janićijević fought Oleksandra Sidorenko for the vacant European female lightweight title with the contest in Oborniki, Poland, ending in a draw.[6] A rematch was held on 5 March 2022 in Dzierżoniów, Poland, with Janićijević winning the bout, and the title, by split decision. Two judges scored 96-94 and 97-93 respectively for Janićijević and the third gave the contest 96-94 for Sidorenko.[7]

Taking advantage of a change in rules that allowed professionals to take part in previously amateur-only competitions, Janićijević competed at the 2022 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships in Istanbul, Turkey in May 2022, going out in the light-welterweight quarter-finals to the eventual gold medalist, Ireland's Amy Broadhurst.[8]

In October 2022, she won the first ever senior medal for a Serbian female boxer at an International Boxing Association sanctioned event when she took bronze at the 2022 Women's European Amateur Boxing Championships in Budva, Montenegro.[9][4] Competing in the welterweight category, she beat Shahla Allahverdiyeva from Azerbaijan by third-round stoppage in the quarter-finals[10] before losing to Germany's Stefanie Von Berge in the final four.[11] Just as had been the case at the world championship, her conqueror went on to win the gold medal.[12]

At the 2023 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships in New Delhi, India, Janićijević lost in the light-welterweight category round of 16 to Uzbekistan's Khadichabonu Abdullaeva.[13][4]

Janićijević looked set to get an opportunity to become a professional world champion when the IBF ordered negotiations to take place between her and Brazil's Beatriz Ferreira to fight for the female lightweight title vacated by Katie Taylor.[14] However, she was removed from the IBF's rating for undisclosed reasons after terms for the contest were not agreed before the negotiation period expired.[15][16]

Personal life

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Janićijević has a PhD in English literature and is a taekwondo black belt.[4]

Professional boxing record

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8 fights 5 wins 1 loss
By knockout 2 0
By decision 3 1
Draws 1
No contests 1
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
8 Win 5–1–1(1) Sarah Weidmann UD 10 (10) 5 January 2023 Zlatibor, Serbia
7 Win 4–1–1(1) Oleksandra Sidorenko SD 10 (10) 5 March 2022 Hala Osrodka Sportu, Dzierżoniów, Poland Won the vacant European female lightweight title
6 Draw 3–1–1(1) Oleksandra

Sidorenko

SD 10 (10) 24 September 2021 Hala Sportowa, Oborniki, Poland For the vacant European female lightweight title
5 Win 3–1(1) Karina Szmalenberg UD 6 (6) 9 August 2020 Eisstadion, Braunlage, Germany
4 Win 2–1(1) Joanna Ekedahl KO 5 (6) 22 June 2019 Forum, Horsens, Denmark
3 NC 1–1(1) Licia Boudersa NC 5 (6) 23 February 2019 Palais des Sports Saint-Sauveur, Lille, France Injury. Originally Janicijevic win by TKO. Changed to no contest on 17 December 2020[1]
2 Win 1–1 Donya Darouiche KO 3 (4) 3 November 2018 Complexe de la Busserine, Marseille, France
1 Loss 0–1 Nahed Kharchi PTS 6 (6) 29 September 2018 Espace Jean Ferrat, Drap, France

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Boxrec profile of Jelena Janićijević". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  2. ^ "Boxing record for Jelena Janićijević". BoxRec.
  3. ^ "Jelena Janićijević". tapology.com. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  4. ^ a b c d "Serbian boxer Jelena exploring World with big picture in mind". New Indian Express. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  5. ^ "Nahed Kharchi vs Jelena Janicijevic". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  6. ^ "Oleksandra Sidorenko vs Jelena Janićijević". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  7. ^ "Euro News: Jelena Janicijevic, Robert Cohen, Jake James, More". Boxing Scene. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  8. ^ "Spain, Kosovo, the Netherlands and Lithuania are among the medallist nations in Istanbul". EUBC. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  9. ^ "Serbian sports in 2022". serbia.gov.rs. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  10. ^ "Jelena Janicijevic vs Shahla Allahverdiyeva". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  11. ^ "Stefanie Von Berge vs Jelena Janicijevic". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  12. ^ "The winners of the EUBC European Women's Boxing Championships are crowned in Montenegro". IBA. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  13. ^ "Khadichabonu Abdullaeva vs Jelena Janićijević". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  14. ^ "Beatriz Ferreira-Jelena Janicijevic: IBF Orders Vacant Lightweight Title Fight". Boxing Scene. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  15. ^ "Beatriz Ferreira-Yanina Del Carmen Lescano Title Fight Confirmed for April 27". Boxing Scene. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  16. ^ "BEATRIZ FERREIRA-YANINA DEL CARMEN LESCANO IBF TITLE FIGHT SET, APRIL 27 IN LIVERPOOL". The Ring. Retrieved 2024-05-23.